The NBA Gets Loud & Proud

Allies and supporters of LGBT equality are growing by the day, and now, the sports community is following suit. During LGBT History Month, the Miami Heat are hosting a party to celebrate South Florida’s LGBTQ community, called Loud & Proud, this Saturday, October 22nd. The Miami Heat are planning a huge event, sending professional NBA coaches and players, and making it open and free to the public.

This is big news. The sports community has not historically been perceived as an ally to the LGBTQ movement. In fact, it’s been seen as extremely homophobic and transphobic on all levels. LGBTQ youth are often bullied out of sports at the K-12 level, and many LGBTQ athletes at the professional level are pressured to hide their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

However, we’ve recently seen a shift in how the sports community relates to LGBTQ rights both nationally and locally. Nationally, we’ve seen major professional leagues like the NBA take a pro-LGBT stance, culminating with the movement of their All-Star game from North Carolina due to their anti-LGBT law. The NCAA and ACC followed the NBA’s lead out of North Carolina, and the ACC even relocated one of its most prized championships-- the football championship-- to Orlando, a city with LGBTQ protections.

It is within this landscape of new support for LGBT equality that the Miami Heat event is even more groundbreaking. This is the first time an NBA team has officially hosted an LGBTQ-focused event - no NBA team has ever hosted an LGBTQ Pride night as many baseball and football teams have done. And, instead of a traditional “pride night” where the emphasis is on the team and the game, the Heat’s Loud and Proud will focus solely on Florida’s LGBTQ community. They are using their resources to create a safe and inclusive space for the LGBTQ community and then coming into our space to celebrate us. This is allyship at its best, most effective, and most meaningful.

All of these efforts are game-changing, especially considering the impact and influence of sports on the Florida economy and culture. Now that sports leagues and teams are standing up for LGBT rights and prioritizing LGBT-inclusive places for lucrative sports events, Florida legislators have a renewed incentive to pass the Florida Competitive Workforce Act and ensure that all Floridians are safe and protected in the communities they call home.

As we prepare to promote and defend LGBTQ civil rights in the upcoming legislative session, words, support, or celebrations from these new, visible allies can help us move the ball forward on LGBT equality in Florida.

Hopefully more Florida teams will stand up to champion equality, loud and proud.